The cinema world is mourning the loss of a true Hollywood legend. Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his beloved Sundance home in Utah at age 89, leaving behind an unparalleled cinematic legacy that shaped American film for over six decades.
This weekend offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate Redford’s extraordinary career by revisiting the films that made him one of cinema’s most magnetic stars. From his breakthrough role alongside Paul Newman to his compelling portrayals of complex characters, these ten essential movies showcase why Redford remains an enduring icon.
10 Best Robert Redford Movies
| Rank | Movie Title | Year | Genre | Director | Key Co-Stars | Notable Achievement |
| 1 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | 1969 | Western/Buddy Film | George Roy Hill | Paul Newman, Katharine Ross | Highest-grossing film of 1969; launched Redford to stardom |
| 2 | The Sting | 1973 | Crime/Caper | George Roy Hill | Paul Newman, Robert Shaw | Won 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture; $257M worldwide |
| 3 | All the President’s Men | 1976 | Political Thriller | Alan J. Pakula | Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards | Earned $70M+ box office; definitive journalism film |
| 4 | Jeremiah Johnson | 1972 | Western/Drama | Sydney Pollack | Will Geer, Stefan Gierasch | Redford’s most physically demanding role; existential Western |
| 5 | The Natural | 1984 | Sports Drama | Barry Levinson | Glenn Close, Kim Basinger | Baseball fairy tale; mythic American storytelling |
| 6 | Three Days of the Condor | 1975 | Thriller/Conspiracy | Sydney Pollack | Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson | Post-Watergate paranoia thriller; government corruption theme |
| 7 | Out of Africa | 1985 | Romance/Epic | Sydney Pollack | Meryl Streep, Klaus Maria Brandauer | Won 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture |
| 8 | The Candidate | 1972 | Political Satire | Michael Ritchie | Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglas | Explores political compromise and media manipulation |
| 9 | The Way We Were | 1973 | Romance/Drama | Sydney Pollack | Barbra Streisand, Bradford Dillman | Iconic love story spanning decades; memorable chemistry |
| 10 | All Is Lost | 2013 | Survival/Drama | J.C. Chandor | Solo performance | Redford’s virtuoso one-man performance at age 77 |
1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Paul Newman and Robert Redford in their iconic roles that defined Hollywood buddy films
The film that launched Redford to superstardom deserves the top spot on any essential viewing list. This Western buddy film became the highest-grossing movie of 1969, earning approximately $367 million AUD worldwide in today’s money.
Why Watch: The chemistry between Redford and Paul Newman is electric, creating the template for every great buddy film that followed. The movie’s blend of humour, action, and genuine emotion makes it timelessly entertaining.
Director George Roy Hill crafted something special here – a Western that felt both classic and revolutionary. The film holds an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2003.
2. The Sting (1973)
Won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture
Four years later, the Newman-Redford-Hill trio reunited for this Depression-era con game masterpiece. The Sting grossed $257 million worldwide ($378 million AUD today) and swept the Academy Awards with seven wins from ten nominations, including Best Picture.
Why Watch: This is pure entertainment – a perfectly constructed caper film with more twists than you can count. The ragtime score by Marvin Hamlisch sparked a nationwide revival of Scott Joplin’s music.
The film showcases Redford at his most charismatic, playing the young grifter Johnny Hooker with just the right mix of cockiness and vulnerability.
3. All the President’s Men (1976)
Earned $70M+ box office
Redford wasn’t just a pretty face – he proved his dramatic chops as Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in this gripping political thriller about Watergate.
Why Watch: The $8.5 million film earned over $70 million at the box office (approximately $103 million AUD today) and remains “the greatest celebration of American journalism we’ve ever had” according to Watergate historian Garrett M. Graff.
The film’s methodical investigation scenes are surprisingly suspenseful, turning newspaper work into edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Redford’s partnership with Dustin Hoffman creates a different but equally compelling dynamic than his work with Newman.
4. Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
Redford’s most physically demanding role
This existential Western sees Redford as a 19th-century mountain man seeking solitude in the wilderness. It’s perhaps his most physically demanding role and shows his range beyond the charming rogue archetype.
Why Watch: The film offers stunning cinematography of the American West and Redford’s most introspective performance. It’s a meditation on isolation, survival, and what it means to live outside civilization.
5. The Natural (1984)
Baseball fairy tale
Based on Bernard Malamud’s novel, this baseball fairy tale features Redford as Roy Hobbs, a middle-aged rookie with extraordinary talent and a mysterious past.
Why Watch: The film combines America’s pastime with mythic storytelling. Redford brings gravitas to what could have been a simple sports movie, creating something closer to modern folklore.
6. Three Days of the Condor (1975)
Post-Watergate paranoia thriller
This paranoid thriller captures the post-Watergate mood perfectly, with Redford as a CIA researcher who discovers his colleagues have been murdered.
Why Watch: The film taps into 1970s anxiety about government corruption. Redford’s everyman-in-danger performance anchors this tense conspiracy thriller that feels remarkably relevant today.
7. Out of Africa (1985)
Won 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture
Paired with Meryl Streep in this sweeping romantic epic, Redford plays Danish hunter Denys Finch Hatton in colonial Kenya.
Why Watch: The film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Redford’s portrayal of the free-spirited aviator opposite Streep’s Karen Blixen creates genuine romantic chemistry against stunning African landscapes.
8. The Candidate (1972)
Explores political compromise and media manipulation
This political satire showcases Redford’s interest in serious social issues, playing an idealistic lawyer recruited to run for Senate.
Why Watch: The film’s exploration of political compromise and media manipulation feels startlingly contemporary. Redford delivers one of his most thoughtful performances as a man losing himself in the political machine.
9. The Way We Were (1973)
Iconic love story spanning decades
Opposite Barbra Streisand, Redford plays Hubbell Gardner, a golden boy whose relationship with an activist spans decades of American history.
Why Watch: Streisand called Redford “one of the finest actors ever” and said “every day on the set was exciting, intense and pure joy”. Their on-screen chemistry drives this bittersweet love story about incompatible soulmates.
10. All Is Lost (2013)
Redford’s virtuoso one-man performance at age 77
In one of his final leading roles, 77-year-old Redford delivers a virtually silent performance as a sailor fighting for survival at sea.
Why Watch: This minimalist survival story features Redford as the only performer, showcasing his ability to carry a film through pure presence and physical acting. It’s a masterclass in screen acting from a true professional.
Why These Movies Matter Now
Robert Redford’s passion for filmmaking led to his creation of the Sundance Institute, supporting independent film and theatre through the renowned Sundance Film Festival. His influence extended far beyond his on-screen performances.
These films represent different facets of American cinema – the buddy film, the political thriller, the romantic epic, the sports story. Redford didn’t just star in them; he helped define their very essence.
FAQs
Q: What was Robert Redford’s breakthrough movie?
A: While he appeared in films throughout the 1960s, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) was his true breakout role that established him as a major star.
Q: How many Academy Awards did Robert Redford win?
A: Redford won two Academy Awards, including an honorary prize in 2002, and three Golden Globe Awards, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994.
Q: Did Robert Redford and Paul Newman make other movies together?
A: Yes, they made two films together: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973), both directed by George Roy Hill.
Q: What was Robert Redford’s final film appearance?
A: His last on-screen acting job was in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” where he reprised his role as Secretary Alexander Pierce
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